Riff-focused yet stuffed to the gills with exuberantly melodic leads, Blood Red Delusion’s second salvo strikes me as something fans of classic melodic death metal albums by In Flames and At the Gates—along with more modern records like Parasite Inc.’s Time Tears Down—might flock towards. Ruthless Behavior’s no-frills, no-nonsense, and aggressively death-metal-forward approach to the genre forgoes all traces of the sweeter and smoother caresses of lushly adorned modern melodic death metal records. Instead, Ruthless Behavior maintains a direct attack through dueling lead guitars, a boisterous rhythm section, rugged rasps and growls, and tightly written songs. Not a trace of progressive noodling or power-metal lactose exists here, and bridges that metalcore bands posing under the “melodeath” banner use to inject stale breakdowns instead foreshadow the arrival of energetic riffing, disgusting pinch harmonics, or ripping solos. With that in mind, Blood Red Delusion aren’t in the business of changing games or breaking molds. They simply write songs that worship the music they love, and they play it very well.
Blood Red Delusion scattered Ruthless Behavior’s most memorable material across the entire forty-two-minute runtime, making for an easily replayable experience. Starting off strong with the opening title track and its blistering core riff, Blood Red Delusion mark their place in an unquestionably death metal arena. Following close behind, the folk-tinged melodies of “Foreclosure” exhibit the band’s jaunty side, bringing a new dimension to what was already a strong mission statement. Leapfrogging to the oddly named “Back Against Them,” the listener encounters riffs and structures lightly informed by the thrash metal scene. Additionally, the piece introduces an extensive collection of arpeggiated lead melodies, shreddy solos, and squealing pinch harmonics guaranteed to twist your face up into the ugliest of grimaces. Last but not least, the late-album one-two punch of “Fear Without End” and “I Am Your God” feature the record’s most aggressive and compelling material outside of the barnstorming opener. The former reeks of At the Gates-esque galloping mixed with some very cool lead/riff collisions that entice and excite throughout. The latter boasts a slick, groovy swagger working in concert with slithering lead guitar lines to elicit an eerie twist to Blood Red Delusion’s punchy melodeath methodology.
Seemingly by sheer chance, the album’s weak points alternate between each of its most compelling offerings, creating repeated, but relatively minor quality dips liable to challenge the more impatient listener. While none are outright bad, they nonetheless lack the charisma of their album-mates and therefore negatively impact the album experience. “When Two Were One” is a perfect example. Its melodies remind me of some of In Mourning‘s mid-period material in that it takes on a more somber tone, which is a nice departure from an otherwise all-out assault. However, its monotonous pacing and relative lack of distinctive or novel songwriting cause a noticeable lull in momentum at a pivotal juncture. Earlier cuts like “Will to Fight” share plenty of attributes with the record’s highlights, but require a memorable hook or a compelling passage to help it stand out against its companions, and it just isn’t there. The closer, “Kontaminaatio,” starts off strong with a great groove, but a relative dearth of fresh ideas and a repetitive riff-melody sequence on the back half conspire against my favor for a nearly six-minute song.
In short, Ruthless Behavior offers many cool, creative, and engaging tunes spread out across the runtime well enough to carry any listener’s interest through to the record’s final moments. It also offers a few others which aren’t as compelling, holding it back from greatness. Still, Blood Red Delusion prove to be an exciting upset in the underground melodic death metal scene. If you like your melodeath with sharp teeth and some grit, Ruthless Behavior is waiting for you in the back alley.
Rating: Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self Release
Websites: bloodreddelusion.com | facebook.com/bloodreddelusion
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2024
